A Family Christmas
by ManateeMama
Summary: Brenda is looking forward to a Christmas visit from her brother. At the same time she and Fritz find themselves working to reunite another family for Christmas.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1:**

Fritz was flipping through the sports channels checking Sunday's football scores. Brenda had called to tell him that DDA Garnett had requested to meet with her on a pair of missing witnesses who were needed for a trial but that he was late getting back from court. She was bringing dinner and his stomach was growling so he headed for the kitchen to find a snack. There was nothing in the fridge except Thanksgiving leftovers and he was sick of those. He poured himself a glass of cold milk and dug around in the cupboards looking for a package of cookies. He spied a package of Oreos, ripped it open, and grabbed a fistful. Then he headed for the sofa.

As soon as he had twisted one apart and his tongue had swept up the sweet, creamy goodness, the phone rang. He debated ignoring it but the caller ID said it was Brenda's brother, Jimmy. So he washed the cookie filling down with a quick swallow of milk and picked up the phone.

"Hey, Cali Bro." Jimmy was in his usual, cheerful mood. "Is my little sis home?"

"Hi, Jimmy. No, not yet. She called to say that she would be running a little late tonight. Can I take a message?"

"Did Dad say anything to you two about going to the Bahamas for Christmas?"

"I don't think so. At least Brenda hasn't mentioned anything about it."

"Well, he just called me this afternoon to see if Frank and I want to go so you'll probably hear from him tonight. It seems that a friend of Bobby's has a house in Nassau that they won't be using for Christmas and Bobby is borrowing it. So he, Joyce, Clay, Jr., all their kids, and Dad are all going there for Christmas."

"What about you and Frank? Aren't you going too?"

"No. They're trying their best to accept Frank but things between him and Clay, Jr. are still a bit chilly so we don't want to ruin our first wedding anniversary with family drama."

"I can't blame you there."

"So, we were wondering if your invitation to come out to LA on a vacation is still an option. We both have two weeks off at Christmas and we'd love to see both of you again."

"That would be great, Jimmy. Let me have Brenda call you when she gets home."

"Thanks. And if you decide to go to the Bahamas too, or if you have other plans, just let us know. "

"You bet. I'll have Brenda call you. Good talking to you, Jimmy."

"Same here. Bye, Bro."

Brenda walked through the door an hour later with dinner. All through dinner she complained about DDA Garnett. "He hasn't even lifted one finger to find out if that couple is even missin. He never wants to do a thang for himself. He wants everythin handed to him. I'm sick of him treatin my investigators like they're his servants and never even gettin a thank you," she grumbled.

"Have you talked to his supervisor?"

"I've tried. Calvin Newbern says he'll talk to him but I doubt he ever will."

"Are you going to talk to DA Corning about it, then?"

"I don't want to. That would be a last resort." Then Brenda completely changed course. "But I've complained enough for one meal. How was your day?"

"It was ok. Actually it was a little like yours. I was at Robbery Homicide this morning getting insulted by Ross and McHale because the head of a robbery ring apparently skipped town and they thought that somehow it was my fault."

"Hmm. I'd still like to squash that Detective Ross like a bug."

"And then I spent all afternoon getting a case record ready to send over to the U.S. Attorney's office. So I didn't have such a glamorous day today, either."

"Tell me again why we picked careers in law enforcement," Brenda sighed.

"It must have been for the money," Fritz replied wryly.

Brenda's tone matched his. "That must have been it. Cause it sure wasn't for the appreciation or the glamour."

It was Fritz's turn to change course. "Oh say, I forgot to tell you. Jimmy called earlier. Have you spoken to your father today?"

"No. Daddy called while I was with DDA Garnett so I had to let it go to voice mail. I haven't called him back yet. Why? Is anythin wrong? What did Jimmy say?"

"Everything's fine. He said that your dad and your other two brothers are all going to the Bahamas for Christmas and that your father is going to call you to see if we want to go too."

"Do you want to go?"

"I don't know. The Bahamas would be someplace different for us. I guess there's a lot to see and do there. But I doubt we'd get to do much if we went with your family. Anyway, Jimmy said that he and Frank aren't going and he said that if we're not going they'd like to come out here for Christmas. I told him I'd have you call him."

"Hmm. Even if we go, I suppose they could use our house if they wanted to come out here."

"Sure. But I think they really want to see us."

"Well, I'll call him back after we finish dinner. You know, our weddin gift to them was the promise of their airfare and a rental car."

"I remember. I'll get the tickets as soon as we get their plans."

As they were putting away the leftovers Clay called and extended the invitation to spend Christmas in the Bahamas.

"I don't know, Daddy. Jimmy called this afternoon and he and Frank are thinkin they might like to come here for Christmas. I get to see Bobby and Clay, Jr. every time I fly to Atlanta but I haven't seen Jimmy and Frank since last Christmas so…"

"I understand, honey. But if you change your mind, just book your flights and come on."

"We will."

When Brenda hung up the phone, Fritz put his arms around her and said, "You know, now that I think about it, the Bahamas might be a great place to go for our fifth wedding anniversary."

"Yes, it would. If we wanted to do that I'd have to be careful about how much time I take off at Christmas, though."

"That's true. But if we've got company…"

"Oh, you don't have to worry about them. Jimmy is the most self-reliant person I know. And they would both understand if they had to sightsee on their own durin the day. Actually, since they're both so into art galleries, they'd probably prefer to do their own thang."

"So, is it settled? Are we going to ask them to come here for Christmas?"

"I will if you'll let go of me so I can call Jimmy back," Brenda smiled at him.

"If I must," Fritz grinned as he released her.

Brenda called Jimmy and told him that they'd decided not to go to the Bahamas for Christmas and invited them to come to LA. "But, both Fritz and I will have to work most of the time you're here so you'll be on your own a good bit of the time," she explained.

"That's ok. We can certainly get around on our own. Thanks, Bindi. I've been jealous of the time that Clay, Jr. and Bobby get to spend with you so I'm really looking forward to seeing you again."

"Oh, Jimmy. I can't wait, either. And we won't have to work all the time. We'll get to do thangs together. Give Frank my love and just let me know when you want to come so we can get your tickets, ok?"

"You don't have to do that. We can take care of it."

"No. It's your weddin present. Remember?"

"Ok. I love you, Bindi."

"I love you too," Brenda replied.

* * *

The next morning, Brenda's secretary poked her head into Brenda's office and said, "DA Corning would like to see you sometime this morning."

"Did he say what it was about?"

"No. Just that he wants to see you."

"Thanks, Linda. I'll call him now."

When Steve Corning answered the phone Brenda heard, "Thank you for returning my call so promptly. I'd like to meet with you about a personal matter if you have time this morning."

"Certainly, sir. I have a staff meetin in a half an hour but I can meet with you any time after that."

"Will 11:30 be convenient?"

"Of course. I'll be there at 11:30." When she hung up the phone, Brenda thought,_ I wonder what this is all about. He's never wanted to discuss anythin personal before._

Brenda adjourned her staff meeting a few minutes earlier than she'd planned and headed up to Steve's office. When his secretary saw her, she immediately buzzed her in and said "Ah, Chief Johnson, he told me to tell you to go right on in."

"Thank you, Miriam."

Steve rose when Brenda knocked and opened the door. "Come on in, and please close the door behind you. Have a seat." When Brenda was seated across from him he continued, "This is a family matter and it has to remain completely confidential."

"Of course, sir," Brenda nodded wondering if and why she was being drawn into some kind of family dispute. She didn't have to wait long to find out.

"My sister and her family live in Utah. They have one child, Becca. They've been having some typical adolescent rebellion issues with her. They have never approved of her boyfriend since he's been in some minor trouble and he's not a Mormon. They want her to attend Brigham Young University. She doesn't want to even apply there. That kind of thing."

Brenda nodded her understanding and he continued, "According to my sister, last week their fights reached critical mass. She came home late sporting a tattoo and a lot of hickies. She and her boyfriend ran away the next day and she's been gone ever since."

"Have her parents reported her as a runaway?" Brenda asked.

"Yes, but they were told that at sixteen they couldn't force her to return home if she didn't want to. But they took a missing persons report. Anyway, Becca contacted my daughter yesterday. She called and told my daughter that her boyfriend had abandoned her. She has no money and she's hitchhiking to LA. My daughter told her she could stay with us but she refused. I think she's afraid we would return her home."

"The LAPD's juvenile division might be able to help locate her if Utah would transfer the case," Brenda said.

"They really don't want law enforcement involvement," Steve explained.

"But I thought you said that they filed a missin person's report with the police."

"They did. But that was because the school informed my sister that if they didn't, the school would be forced to file a report with Child Protective Services."

"Of course. School personnel are mandated reporters," Brenda nodded. "But I don't see how I can help you."

"My sister and brother-in-law are coming to LA and I am hoping you'd be willing to meet with them to discuss their best options. You're an excellent investigator and since you're not a member of the family, my niece might be willing to talk to you."

"But, assumin that I could find her, I couldn't force her to return home."

"No, you couldn't. But you might be able to convince her. If nothing else, you could steer her away from some pretty bad influences."

"It sounds like you need a PI and I don't have a license."

Steve nodded and continued, "Another complication is that any assistance you could give my family would have to be completely outside of the DA's office. I know I'm asking a lot. If Becca wasn't putting herself in harm's way, I never would take this issue outside of the family. But I don't want to see her get hurt. Or swept up into something she can't get out of."

Brenda had never seen Steve so distraught and her heart went out to him. "Of course I'll meet with your family. But I'm not able to commit to anythin more right now," Brenda cautioned.

"I understand. And I thank you for being willing to hear my sister out. My sister and brother-in-law are flying in tonight. Would you be able to come to my home tomorrow after work?"

"Certainly, sir," Brenda said as she rose.

* * *

When Brenda got home that evening she told Fritz about Steve's request.

"Are you going to search for this kid?"

"Steve has been very good to me. If I can help him, I would like to. You should have seen the pain in his face, Fritz. The elephant in the room, of course, was that teenage girls with no other resources get forced into prostitution. And if my searchin for Becca could prevent that from happenin, I would do it.

"You can't force her to return home. You can't arrest her. So, realistically, what can you do?"

"I don't know. Before I decide anythin I need to meet with her parents."

"Ok, but if you're going to walk the streets at night looking for her I'm coming with you."

Brenda nodded, "It might come to that."

* * *

Brenda drove up to Steve Corning's palatial home in Beverly Hills. _I wish Fritz and I could afford to buy just one wing of this house,_ she thought as she exited her car. When she rang the bell, the housekeeper ushered her into the living room where a group of people were chatting. As Brenda entered, Steve rose, thanked her for coming, and introduced her to his wife Maddy, their daughter Leslie, his sister Elizabeth Dakins and his brother-in-law Caleb.

Caleb also rose and moved to shake Brenda's hand and thanked her for agreeing to help them.

"Mr. Dakins, I'm not sure what I can do. I'm not a private eye and I'm no longer a police officer. But why don't we start with you tellin me about Becca."

Elizabeth and Caleb told her of a beautiful, smart girl who excelled scholastically and athletically, and who had lots of friends. They described her attachment to her boyfriend, Jay Reinhold, as worrisome in that, for the first time in her life, she could be negatively influenced and she was became increasingly defiant.

They had been concerned because he seemed to skip classes quite frequently and had been involved in some minor school vandalism. Becca insisted that he was just misunderstood. But they became alarmed when he was arrested for DUI with Becca in the car. Since his behavior was so risky and their religious faith does not permit alcohol consumption, they had forbidden Becca to see him again. But she had defied them by sneaking out and came home with a tattoo and hickies on her neck. There was another blowup and she ran away the next day.

Elizabeth withdrew a note from her purse and handed it to Brenda. "She left this when she ran away," she explained.

_Mom & Dad,_

_I will not live in a home which does not recognize my right to make my own decisions._

_Becca_

Brenda read it and handed it back to her. "Mr. and Mrs. Dakins, I want to be very clear. I am not a private investigator and that places some legal restrictions on what I can do."

"But my brother says you're the best investigator he knows. Please help us," Elizabeth pleaded.

"If I agree to look for Becca, you both have to realize that because she is sixteen, the law cannot force her to return home. The most I could do would be to urge her to talk to you."

Caleb nodded his understanding. "Yes, Steve told us that. Please find her for us. We'll pay anything you ask."

"I can't accept any money, Mr. Dakins. And I have a day job so I would only be able to search for Becca at night."

"We understand," Elizabeth said. "But if Steve says you're the best, you're the person we want looking for our daughter."

"All right. I'll look for her. But first, Leslie, since Becca reached out to you, you may be the most important person in this investigation. So I'm gonna need your help. Can I count on you?"

"I don't want to be a snitch," Leslie hesitated.

"Do you want to risk something bad happening to her?" Maddy asked.

"No... " She dropped her head and her voice trailed off in her misery.

"Look, Leslie. Your mother is right. How would you feel if you held back some information which could have helped me find her and the worst happened to her?" Brenda's voice had turned hard.

"All right, I'll help. But please, if you find her,_ please_ don't let her know I helped you."

"I can't make any promises, but I'll try not to," Brenda voice had resumed its former, softer tone as she spoke. "She trusts you and we need to keep that trust goin. But right now, I need for you to tell me word for word what Becca said to you on the phone."

Leslie nodded and then said, "She said that she had a fight with Jay and that he drove off and left her on the side of the road, near Reno. She said he had taken all her money so she was going to hitchhike to Los Angeles. I asked her if she wanted to stay with us but she said that she was afraid my dad would force her to return home so she was going to find her own place when she got here. That was all she said."

"When was that?" Brenda asked.

"Three days ago."

"And that was the last time you heard from her?"

"Yes. I asked her to call me when she got to LA and tell me where she was staying so we could get together and she said she would, though."

Ok. Thanks, Leslie. I need you to call me immediately if she gets back in touch with you."

"Becca has never been in any trouble before, Ms. Johnson. She's not street-wise. We're so afraid," Elizabeth said, breaking down.

"I understand, Elizabeth. What is Jay's full name and date of birth?"

"All we know is Jay Reinhold. We don't know his middle name. He's eighteen, but I don't know his date of birth," Caleb said.

"I'll need a good quality recent photograph of Becca. And if you have any photographs of Jay Reinhold, I'd like those too, please. And you mentioned a tattoo. Can you describe it for me?"

"Here. We brought her school picture for you. It was taken in October," Caleb handed the photograph to Brenda. "The tattoo is a blue butterfly and it's just above her right ankle. She has a mole on her left cheek, right beside her mouth."

"She also has an appendectomy scar," Elizabeth added.

"Thank you. There is somethin else I need from you. I need a copy of her medical records and dental records."

Caleb blanched but nodded and said, "Yes, certainly. I'll get those for you."

_He knows why I'm askin for dental records, _Brenda realized.

"It'll save time if you can have them faxed to me tomorrow," Steve added.

"I'll make some phone calls tomorrow and start lookin for her tomorrow night," Brenda said.

"Ms. Johnson, are you planning to walk the streets of LA alone, at night? Surely that can't be safe."

"No, not alone, Elizabeth. I'm always armed, and my husband will be with me. He's a Special Agent for the FBI. Don't worry, I'll be safe," Brenda smiled.

_To Be Continued…_

**A/N: And now, please leave me a present. Your review will do nicely. Thank you.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

Brenda picked up the phone. "Hi, Jimmy. I hope you're callin with your travel plans."

"Hi, Bindi. Well, maybe. We've been talking and I need to run something by you."

"What?"

"Well, our first wedding anniversary is on Monday, and we were thinking of spending it in San Francisco. We would fly to Frisco on Friday and spend the first week of our vacation there. Then we would come to you on Christmas Eve and spend the rest of our vacation with you. Would that be ok? I know it will be an extra expense so we'll pay the additional.

"Oh, you don't have to do that, Jimmy."

"Well, no offense, but you can probably guess why we don't want to spend our first wedding anniversary night in a bedroom right next to yours."

Brenda laughed, "You don't have to say another word. I certainly do understand. I meant that the extra expense would be no trouble. Do you have flight information for us?

"We've already paid for the flight from Frisco to LA so here are the other flights." And he gave her the remaining airline and flight information.

"I'll give this information to Fritz as soon as he gets home and he'll take care of it right away."

* * *

The following morning, Brenda asked David Gabriel to come to her office. When he was seated, she said, "I've been asked to locate a missin person as a personal favor for a friend. She's a sixteen year old runaway from Utah. As far as I know, no laws have been broken but naturally her family is worried about her so they've asked me to try to locate her."

"If she's from Utah, are you sure she's in LA?"

"I'm not, actually. But she told another teenager that LA was her destination. So I have to assume that she's here."

"Ok. How can the LAPD help if no laws have been broken?"

"I need some information which I'm hopin you can get from either Vice or Juvenile Services. I need to know the 'hot spots' where homeless teens might congregate. And the names of suspected pimps specializin in under-aged girls. Can you get that information for me?"

"Certainly, Chief. You know I'll help you in any way I can," David replied.

"Thank you. For now, at least, neither the DA's office nor the LAPD is officially involved. But the information would be very helpful. Now I have to change subjects. Do you still shop at Fred Segal's?"

"Yes, I do. Why?"

"My brother and his husband are comin for Christmas and I thought maybe I could get somethin for them there. And maybe somethin for Fritz. He doesn't really need a new suit but I don't have any extra time to go shoppin for him."

"They're having sales right now, and next week they start extended hours in the evening, I think," he replied.

"Well, I'm not gonna have time to go shoppin at night."

They both looked up and saw DA Corning in the doorway so David turned back to Brenda and replied, "I'll get right on that," and left her office.

DA Corning nodded to David and came in and sat down. "Brenda, is my family's problem causing you to neglect your own family?"

"Oh, no. It's fine. I have thangs for Fritz. It's just that I don't have anythin he really wants."

"What does he want?"

"I don't know. He loves the Dodger's and is really into baseball memorabilia but I feel like I'm flyin blind when it comes to shoppin for that kind of thang."

"Oh? I'm a Dodger's lover myself. If I can help you with anything, just let me know."

"Thank you, Steve. I'm not sure what I'm gonna do. But if I have a question I'll probably take you up on your offer. Now, what can I do for you?"

"I overheard DDA Garnett giving one of your investigators a hard time over some missing witnesses. What's the problem?"

"The problem is that we don't think the couple is missin. Accordin to family, they're in Florida until the end of January. Apparently, it's somethin they do every year. And if that's so, they'll be back in plenty of time for the trial."

"I take it that DDA Garnett doesn't want to take that for granted."

"Neither do we. We're tryin to track them down and find out when they're returnin but they rented a different condo this year and we don't have their address yet."

"If I might offer a word of advice," Steve paused until he saw Brenda nod, "Don't let DDA Garnett get the upper hand. He views every case as a rung on his political ladder."

"No, sir, we won't."

"Just don't let him run roughshod over Investigations. He can be pretty hard on investigators if he thinks he's about to look less than sterling in the eyes of the press. He's a good litigator, but he's also very much concerned with his image."

"Oh, I know, sir. I was on the receivin end of his temper when I was at the LAPD."

"All right. Since you know what you're dealing with, I'll leave this matter to you. If you need help with him, be sure to let me know."

"Thank you, but I think we can handle it," Brenda smiled.

* * *

Later that day, Sergeant Gabriel was back with a list of locations where runaway teenage girls like to congregate and copies of photographs of suspected pimps.

"Thank you, David. This will help a lot."

"Chief, are you going to look for this girl by yourself? At night?"

"Fritz is gonna go with me," she explained.

"Ok. That makes me feel better. If he's ever not available and you want someone riding shotgun, I'd be happy to go along with you."

"Thank you, but I want to be careful to involve the LAPD as little as I possibly can. I don't want to put you in an uncomfortable position."

"It would be something I would do on my own time so it would be ok," David persisted.

"Well, I'll keep it in mind. If Fritz is ever unavailable, I just might call you. But, hopefully, I can find this girl soon, assumin she's here."

* * *

For the next two weeks, Brenda and Fritz cruised the underbelly of LA. Although they showed Becca's picture and talked to every pimp as well as everyone who appeared to be close to Becca's age, no one admitted to having seen her. And the following morning, Steve would call asking for an update.

"Honey, when are we going to take some time to decorate for Christmas?" Fritz asked after another unsuccessful attempt to locate Becca.

"Good question," Brenda replied. "What about Sunday? Or do you have plans with Emilio?"

"No. His mom is taking the weekend off from work in order to shop and spend time with her kids. I told her that I would take him Saturday afternoon so she could shop."

"That's nice. I need to do some shoppin on Saturday too. So, Sunday will be our decoratin day."

"Speaking of shopping, we need to get something for Jimmy and Frank," Fritz remembered.

"I'm one step ahead of you. I have somethin in mind for them and I'm plannin to get it on Saturday."

"What about the rest of your family?"

"I already ordered their gifts. Amazon is gonna gift wrap them and everythin. I don't remember what I did before I discovered online shoppin."

Fritz chuckled, "I don't know either, but I'll bet everything you bought was late."

Brenda was offended. "Hey! Not everythin." Then honesty prevailed. "But most everythin," she admitted. "That reminds me. Did you remember to book Jimmy's and Frank's tickets?"

"Yes. And I rented them a car too."

"That's good because their plane gets in early and I know I won't be able to pick them up."

"Neither will I so I called Jimmy and told him where to find the extra key so they can let themselves in. He seemed fine with it."

"I told you that he's the most self-reliant person I've ever met."

* * *

Brenda and Fritz were back out on the streets again. They had a new lead which David Gabriel had provided to them that morning. There was an underground gathering place just off of Sunset Blvd. It was actually an empty restaurant which Vice discovered had recently been taken over by a pimp who, they believe, was using a Jones List account to recruit young girls and boys for prostitution under the guise of providing services to homeless teens.

When Fritz and Brenda stepped up to the entrance, a tall young man stood in the way and told them that only teens were allowed in. Brenda just shoved him aside and she and Fritz entered and, as soon as their eyes adjusted to the dim lights, began scanning the crowded dance floor.

Fritz caught sight of a young girl with a mole on her left cheek. He pointed her out to Brenda just as the girl quickly headed down a back hallway. They quickly followed her as Brenda called "Becca!"

When the girl heard that name, she turned and looked at them and hurried into the ladies room locking the door behind her.

"Go around back in case she tries to go out the window," Brenda ordered and Fritz went out the back door and around the side of the building into an alley.

Brenda knocked on the ladies room door. "Becca, please open the door. You're not in any trouble but I need to talk to you."

As he was moving down the alley way, Fritz heard the scrape of a window being raised. He next saw Becca drop to the ground and yelp "Ouch!" She then sat down and held her ankle.

He squatted down beside her. "Are you hurt? Let me see that." And he gingerly extended her leg and felt her ankle. "Does this hurt?" he asked as he gently applied pressure with his thumb.

"I'm ok. Who are you, anyway? What do you want?"

"My name is Fritz Howard and my wife needs to talk to you," he explained.

"Why? Who's your wife? What does she want with me?"

As Brenda rounded the corner and headed into the alley, she noticed the used needles and syringes reflected in the glow of the street light. And her senses were immediately assaulted by the smells of vomit and urine, as well as feces and rotting garbage.

"I'm Brenda Johnson and I want to talk to you," Brenda said as she approached them.

"I don't have to talk to you. I haven't done anything wrong," Becca replied.

"I'm not a police officer so I couldn't arrest you even if I wanted to. But I do need to talk to you."

"Go away. I'm staying here and you can't make me do anything."

"So, you want to stay here? Sitting in a puddle of someone else's urine?" Becca just hung her head and didn't reply so Brenda continued, "You're right. We can't make you do anythin or even get up out of the pee if you don't want to."

Fritz extended his hand and said, "Here, let me help you up. That ankle doesn't feel broken. Let's see if you can stand on it."

Becca looked up at Fritz and hesitantly extended her hand. Fritz helped her up to a standing position and asked, "How does it feel?"

"It's not too bad."

"Ok, now try puttin your weight on it. Does it hurt more?" Brenda asked.

"A little bit, but not bad," Becca replied.

"I need to talk to you, but I don't want to do it here in this disgustin alley. Why don't we go somewhere where it's safe and you can get into some clean clothes?" Brenda urged gently.

"How do you know about me?"

"I work for your Uncle Steve. He asked me to try to find you," Brenda explained.

"You can't make me go home." Becca's defiance was back.

"No, I can't. You have the right to leave any time you want to. But I do want to make sure everythin is safe and that you can clean up before we talk."

"We won't hurt you," Fritz said gently. "We just want to help. You're safe. We promise."

Becca looked at both Brenda and Fritz but she hesitated. Finally she said, "I don't have any other clothes."

"We'll take care of that," Brenda replied.

"Come on, let me help you to my car," Fritz said.

"It's cleaner, warmer, and smells a lot nicer than this alley," Brenda smiled.

"Where do you want to take me?"

"We want to take you to our home. You can borrow some of my clothes while we put yours in the washin machine. And while we're waitin for the washer and dryer, we can get somethin to eat. I'm sure you can use some food about now." Brenda gently took her arm and said, "Let's see if you can take a step or two. Fritz, why don't you get the car?"

"I can walk," Becca said and limped as they all walked to Fritz's car.

When Brenda unlocked their back door, they were met by Joel who curiously sniffed Becca. He apparently wasn't attracted to the urine smell and quickly turned away.

"Your cat doesn't like me," Becca commented.

"No, he loves people. He just doesn't like the way you smell right now. Come on, let's get you a shower and into some clean clothes," Brenda replied and she led the way to the bathroom. "Here's a towel and washcloth. Shampoo and body wash are in the shower. I'll get some clothes you can put on while we're waitin for yours to get clean. Becca stood there until Brenda reappeared with a pair of pajamas, a robe, and a pair of slippers.

"These are pajamas. I don't want to stay here," Becca observed in a suspicious tone.

"You have the right to leave any time you want to, of course. But we're gonna order a pizza. It's late and it's cold out. Doesn't it make more sense for you to get somethin to eat with us and spend the night here? Then, tomorrow after breakfast, you can decide what you want to do.

Becca thought about it and nodded her agreement.

"Ok. What do you like on your pizza? We usually order one with everythin on it."

"Everything, except no anchovies."

"Ok. We'll tell them to hold the anchovies," Brenda smiled as she left. When she heard the water shut off, she put Becca's things in the washer.

While they ate, Joel rubbed up against Becca and meowed.

"You were right. Your cat likes me, after all," Becca smiled for the first time that night.

"He's checking you out to see if you're a pushover," Fritz chuckled.

"He's hopin for a treat, but he knows he won't get people food from us so he's hopin that he'll have better luck with you."

"My cat is the same way. Only I sneak stuff to her, especially if it's something I don't like and I know she does," Becca smiled. "My cat is a purebred Turkish Angora. What kind is yours?"

"Joel is just a mutt. He was a rescue," Fritz explained.

"He's a nice cat. How long have you had him?"

It was clear to Brenda that Becca wanted to steer clear of any serious conversation so she decided not to push. "We've had him for four years. Fritz found him at an animal shelter when he was just a baby. We think he was about seven or eight weeks old, but we don't know for sure."

"That's nice that you rescued him. He's lucky. I heard on TV that most shelters put strays to sleep."

"He rules the house, that's for sure," Brenda replied. "Do you want any more pizza?"

"No. I'm full. It was good. Thank you."

"Ok, Fritz, why don't you finish up that last slice while I call Steve," Brenda suggested.

Becca's eyes widened. "You said I could stay here tonight. I don't want to talk to anyone."

"Honey, your uncle loves you and he's scared to death because he knows how dangerous it is on the streets." Brenda saw Becca tear up so she continued, "All I'm gonna do is tell him that we found you and that you're safe for now. I'm not gonna tell him anythin else. I promise. You can hear exactly what I say to him. Ok?"

Becca still looked suspicious so Brenda retrieved her cell phone and dialed Steve. When she heard his voice she put it on speaker phone so Becca could hear everything that was said.

"Steve, I have good news for you. We found Becca tonight and she's safe for now."

"Oh, thank God!" Steve's relief was evident in his voice. "Thank you so much, Chief Johnson. I know Elizabeth and Caleb will be so happy. What is she saying? Can we see her?"

When Brenda heard this she looked up at Becca who was shaking her head no. "She says that she isn't ready to see anyone right now. We've gotten her somethin to eat and then we're gonna get her settled in a safe place for the night."

"Thank you so much for seeing to her. Please tell her that I love her very much and that I want to talk to her."

"I will. And because it's late and I'm tired, I'm gonna take a personal day tomorrow, if that's all right."

"Yes, certainly. And I can't say it enough. Thank you for finding her and for taking care of her. And thank Fritz, too. You have no idea what wonderful news this is."

"It was our pleasure, sir."

When she disconnected the call, Becca looked at her and said, "He called you 'Chief Johnson'. I thought you said you weren't a cop."

"I'm not. Oh, I used to be. But now I work for your Uncle Steve. I'm the Chief of Investigations for the District Attorney's office."

"Oh," was all Becca said.

"Well, I don't know about you but I'm tired and I'm gonna go to bed as soon as I put your clothes in the dryer."

"How do you know I won't wait until my clothes are dry and just leave?"

"You are free to do that, of course. But you're a smart girl and I think you know that it's much better to get a good night's sleep in a warm bed and a good breakfast in the mornin." Brenda saw Becca was still anxious. "Look, Becca. I just want to talk to you about your options. The choice is up to you. But the time for that talk is in the mornin, after we've both had a good night's sleep."

"Just talk. And then I can leave if I want to."

"Just talk. I promise," Brenda replied, "How does bacon and eggs sound for breakfast?"

"Great. Good night. Oh, can Joel sleep in my room tonight? I always slept with my cat."

"That's up to Joel. He has a bed but he's spoiled and likes sleeping with us. He's taken a shine to you so he might like to sleep with you too," Fritz said. "Just let him out if he gets restless. He might need the litter box."

"Well, good night," Becca said as she scooped up Joel. She stopped in the doorway and said hesitantly, "Thank you for the pizza and the clean clothes."

"You're welcome, honey. We're glad we can help you," Brenda smiled at her.

_To be continued..._

**A/N: Please leave a review. Thank you.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

Brenda knocked on the door before she opened it. "Becca, time to get up. Here are your clothes." She put them on the dresser and said, "I'm startin breakfast now."

Becca stirred and, after yawning and looking around as if trying to remember where she was and why, said, "Ok, thanks."

When she came into the kitchen holding Brenda's pajamas she asked "Where should I put these?"

"Oh, you can put them on top of the washin machine. How did you sleep?"

"Like a log. I was really tired. I didn't hear Joel ask to leave so he slept with me all night."

"I'm sure he was fine. Sometimes he likes to go explorin at night but there will be plenty for him to check out today. Since I'm not goin to work I'm gonna start decoratin for Christmas and he loves to poke around the ornaments and check out all the decorations."

Fritz entered the room and said, "Good morning, ladies," as he gave Brenda a kiss. "Becca, you look good this morning. How's your ankle?"

"It's fine. It doesn't hurt at all." Then Becca noticed that he was dressed in a suit and tie and asked, "What do you do for a living, Fritz?"

"I'm a Special Agent for the FBI."

"FBI?" There was surprise and a touch of alarm in Becca's voice.

"That's right." Then he grinned, "But you don't have to worry. You haven't broken any laws that I know of so I won't need to get out my handcuffs."

Reassured, Becca's attention shifted. "You two don't have the same accent. Where are you from?"

"Well, I'm from Atlanta and he's from New Jersey originally. I guess that's why we don't sound alike. But I don't notice it any more."

"How did you meet?"

"We met in Washington DC years ago," Fritz explained.

"That's right. I used to be a police officer for the Metro Police Department and he was with the FBI. We worked some cases together."

"And when she came out here to work for the LAPD, about nine years ago, we started dating."

"We've been married almost five years," Brenda added.

"But you don't have any kids of your own?"

"No, we don't," Brenda answered.

"That's too bad. You'd be great parents," Becca smiled.

"Well, thank you. I think so too," Fritz answered.

Brenda quickly changed the subject. "Do you want any more toast?"

"No, thank you."

"Well, I've got to get to work," Fritz said as he looked at his watch.

"Bye," Brenda said and kissed him goodbye.

As she watched Fritz leave Becca asked, "You two really love each other, don't you?"

"We do," Brenda smiled as she picked up plates and started to put things in the dishwasher.

"I could feel it. My parents do too. Sometimes they get so mushy that it's embarrassing," Becca said.

Brenda saw her tear up and said, "I think that really happy homes are rare. It sounds like you had one."

"Yeah," Becca replied in a quiet voice, then changed the subject. "Do you want me to make the bed?"

"Ok, thanks. If you want, you could do that while I finish cleanin up here?"

While Brenda was wiping up the counters, the doorbell rang. It was a UPS driver delivering a large box needing a signature. After she signed for it she saw how it was addressed:

_Frank & Jimmy - Keep your hands off it, Brenda._

While she was shoving it into the living room, she saw Becca peeking around the corner. "It was just a deliveryman," she called out so Becca went back into the guest room.

When Becca came back into the kitchen she asked, "So when does the Spanish Inquisition start?"

Brenda laughed and replied, "It doesn't. I'm gonna put up the Christmas tree. Do you want to help me? We can talk while we work."

"Ok, I guess," she answered cautiously.

As they worked on the tree, Brenda asked, "Why did you decide to leave home?"

Becca cleared her throat and hesitated for a minute. "My parents didn't like my boyfriend and they said I couldn't see him again. I didn't like them trying to control my life."

"Were they wrong about your boyfriend?"

"Umm. No, they were right about him, I guess. But I'm old enough to make my own decisions about who I date and they can't see that."

"I think I know how that feels. When I started datin, my daddy didn't like any of my boyfriends."

"What did you do about it?"

"Well, I tried defyin them by sneakin out so I could do my own thang. But my mama always found out about it. I swear that woman had eyes in the back of her head. I could never get away with anythin with her."

"What did she do about it?"

"They'd both sit me down and give me a lecture and they'd forbid me to see any of them. And I had three older brothers who would tell them if I disobeyed so I had no choice."

"I'll bet that made you mad."

"It did, at first. Then I realized that there were plenty of guys out there and they couldn't hate them all and it really was kinda fun playin the field, you know?"

Becca laughed and said, "Yeah, there are other guys in my school that I think like me."

"Then you probably know how good it feels to have a lot of guys interested in you."

"Yeah. But I don't like my parents controlling every move I make."

"Well, I didn't like it, either. Then I started lookin at it as a negotiation."

"Negotiation? What do you mean?"

"Well, in any negotiation, you usually have to give up somethin to get somethin better. I wasn't allowed to date until I was sixteen. I was a Junior in high school so when we locked horns, my brother Jimmy told me that I only had one more year until I went away to college and then I could date any boy I wanted. In the meantime, I had a good home, three squares a day, and lots of friends. At first I thought he was full of it. But then I thought about it and I realized that if I didn't chill, I'd probably get sent to live with my aunt and I'd lose my school and all my friends too. And I decided it wasn't worth it when all I had to do was wait another year."

"So you never ran away?"

"No. I thought about it but Jimmy talked me out of it. And it worked out. I mean the guys I dated in college were way cooler than the geeks and jocks in high school, believe me."

Becca said nothing, and for a few minutes they just decorated the tree. Finally she said quietly, "There's another problem."

"What's that?"

"Well, my family is Mormon and… well…" Her voice broke off.

"I know what that's like too," Brenda said. "You see my parents were Southern Baptists. They were very conservative and their rules on how people are supposed to live were very strict. So they were very strict with all four of us. Especially me, since I was the youngest and the only girl."

"As strict as Mormons?"

"I think so. As a matter of fact, I was almost forty years old and afraid to tell them that Fritz and I were livin together because that was a terrible sin in their eyes."

"Did they find out?"

"Yes. Mama came to visit and she figured it out. Actually she handled it ok. But Daddy freaked out. Eventually he came around. Oh, he wasn't happy about it, but he loves me so he didn't disown me or anythin."

"You mean you lived with Fritz before you got married?"

"Yes, we lived together for about three years before we got married."

"I never met anyone who did that. And your parents were ok with it?"

"Well, they would have preferred that we hadn't lived together, but they still loved me. Just like your family loves you."

"You've talked to my parents?"

"Yes. And they love you very much."

"You don't know that."

"Yes, I do know that. You see, Becca, I'm a trained interrogator. And the first thang an interrogator learns is how to spot lies and insincerity. Believe me when I tell you that your Uncle Steve, Elizabeth and Caleb all love you _very_ much."

This made Becca tear up once more so she changed the subject. "You said we were going to talk about my options. What are they?"

"Oh yes, your options. The way I see it, you have several options. You can continue to live on the streets. We found you last night in a place where pimps pick up young girls and force them to become prostitutes. If you want to continue to live on the streets, that's undoubtedly what will become of you."

"I don't want to do that," Becca said.

"No, of course you don't. But, at some point, you'll realize that livin on the streets is horrible. And a kid with no resources doesn't have a chance to avoid it. It's either become a prostitute or starve.

"Another option is to be picked up by DCS and placed in foster care. Some foster homes are good and some are nightmares. You're spinnin the wheel there, believe me."

"I'm not going into foster care, that's for sure," Becca was adamant.

"Ok. Another option is to get a job and rent an apartment. But Los Angeles is a very expensive place to live and the job market has been really bad since the crash, especially for young people. You'd get a job flippin burgers and it would only be part time, at that. You wouldn't even make enough to feed yourself and pay to keep the lights on. You could never pay what they charge in rents here so you'd still be livin on the streets. And I'm afraid it's pretty much the same wherever you could go."

Becca was taking all this in but didn't say anything.

Brenda saw her sad expression and continued, "Another option, of course, is to do what I did."

"Go home and tough it out until I can get to college?"

"That's right."

Becca shook her head sadly, "There's another reason why I can't go home."

"Oh? What's that?"

"I'm not… not… a virgin," she stammered. "And my parents are all hung up on abstinence."

"Honey, I know that will make your parents very unhappy. But I also know that they love you and I'm sure they can handle it. Besides, I suspect they already know that."

"Did they say anything to you about that?"

"No, not directly. But it was kind of the elephant in the room when they talked about you and Jay Reinhold, you know?"

Becca nodded, "Yeah. I believed him when he said he loved me. But then he stole all my money and left me with nothing."

"That doesn't sound like love to me."

"No. And now no decent boy will ever love me. I can't go back to Mormon Land."

"You'd be surprised. There are lots of wonderful, loving men out there. Oh, they might not be the handsomest or the richest guys you'll meet. But you can find a good one if you keep your standards high and realize that you are a beautiful, smart, talented girl who deserves the best. Losin your virginity doesn't mean a great guy won't want you."

"Not in Mormon Land."

"Well, I don't know about that. But college is comin in a couple of years and I'll bet you'll date a lot of great guys. Just don't feel you have to kiss every frog that hops along. It takes a long time to make sure that even a good guy is someone you can be happy with your whole life. You know what I mean?"

"I guess. But I don't know how I'll have a chance to find one of those great guys because my parents won't consider any college other than BYU, and I don't want to go there."

"I think what they want right now is for you to come home so they can protect you from somethin a lot worse. And I'll bet you can get them to listen to where you want to go to school if you're seriously interested in somethin else. Do you have a school in mind?"

"I'm kinda interested in UCLA and also in Penn State."

"Like I said, this is somethin you probably can work out with them. Just make sure that the school you pick has a great program in the area you want to study. But you have to sit down with them in order to negotiate."

"I don't think I'm ready to talk to them yet."

"How about your Uncle Steve? You could practice talkin to him first."

"I guess I could talk to him. But I don't want to go to his home or office."

"Well, I like negotiatin in a neutral place. For instance, you could meet in a coffee shop or a park."

"Could we talk here?"

"Sure. Do you want to call him and set it up?"

"Ok," and Becca went to the phone. Then she stopped. I don't know his number."

"I'm sure he's at work now. I can dial it for you. If you use the land line, he'll know you're here. You can use my cell phone if you want."

Becca smiled, "My Uncle Steve is really smart. I'm sure he knows I'm here."

Brenda smiled back, "Yeah, I'm sure he's figured it out. I'll dial it for you and then I'm going to get another box of ornaments and continue workin on the tree."

Becca nodded so Brenda dialed Steve's office. When he answered she said, "Steve, I have Becca with me and she wants to talk to you. You're welcome. Here she is," and she handed her the phone.

"Uncle Steve? I love you too. I'm all right. Yes, Brenda and Fritz let me stay with them last night. No, I want to talk to you, but just you. In person. Could you come here? Just a minute," and she put her hand over the phone.

"When can he come?"

"Whenever he wants. I've got to run some errands so when he gets here I'm gonna leave you two alone to talk."

"Please don't leave," Becca pleaded.

"You don't have to be worried about your Uncle Steve. You'll be ok. This is the first step to convincin your family that you are mature enough to be taken seriously. Besides, I can't stay holed up in my bedroom for a long time. But I can loan you a jacket and the two of you can take a long walk around the neighborhood and talk."

"Ok. Uncle Steve, when you get here, can we take a long walk and talk? Ok. I'll see you in a few minutes." She then turned back to Brenda and said nervously, "He's coming right over."

"I don't think you have anythin to worry about. He knows he can't force you to do somethin you don't want to do."

"Oh, I know. It's just that… I disappointed him, and… Well, it's just hard, that's all."

Brenda smiled at her, "I know. But better that you start to heal the wound now rather than lettin it fester. Besides, if you can convince him that you're becomin mature and responsible, he'll be a big help with your parents when the time comes."

When Steve arrived, Becca skittered into the bedroom so Brenda opened the door. After she ushered him into the living room, she said quietly, "Becca is ok but she's very nervous about talkin to you. I assured her that you wouldn't force her into anythin. She became attached to our cat right away and talked about her's. I think that might be the gateway to gettin her and her parents together."

"Thanks. That's a big help," Steve nodded.

"I'm sure she'll be fine. I'll get her," Brenda said and went to the guest room to retrieve Becca.

"Is he mad at me?" Becca asked nervously.

"He doesn't seem to be. But you need to remember that sometimes anger is just an emotional reaction to bein scared. So, if he is, try to cut him some slack."

"Is that another negotiating tactic?" Becca asked.

"I see you're a fast learner," Brenda smiled. "You'll be fine. Now, he's sittin in the livin room by himself so let's not keep him waitin. He is my boss, after all."

Becca laughed at that and followed Brenda. When he heard footsteps Steve stood up. As tears filled his eyes, he asked, "Becca, are you all right?"

She went into his arms and said, "I'm fine, Uncle Steve."

"I'm so glad to see you. I was so worried about you. You could have been hurt. Or worse," he hugged and kissed her as the tears flowed.

"Don't cry, Uncle Steve. I hurt my ankle a little bit but it's ok now," Becca hugged him.

Steve stopped crying and asked, "Are you up for a walk?"

"Yes. Brenda said I could borrow a jacket from her. I'll get it."

When she came back, Steve helped her into the jacket and as they left Brenda said, "I've got some errands to run so I'm gonna leave the back door unlocked for you in case your walk ends before I get back. There's milk and juice in the fridge if you work up a thirst. Just help yourselves."

"Thank you," Steve said and he held the door open for his niece.

* * *

Brenda grabbed her purse and headed for Fred Segal's. Two hours later she returned home with some gift wrapped packages which she put in the guest room closet. There was no sign of Becca and Steve, which she interpreted as a positive sign.

Soon the sun was setting and Brenda began wondering if she should be concerned. She debated calling Steve when Fritz came through the door.

"How's Becca doing?" he asked.

"I don't know. She and Steve went for a walk and have been gone for a long time. I was just thinkin I should call him to make sure everythin's ok."

"How did your talk go?"

"Good, good. She listened to me and told me about some of her fears, and what she wants. When she left here I thought it might take some time, but that she'd be ok."

"I'm sure she's ok. After all, she's not alone. And the more they talk, the better things will be, don't you think?"

Just as Brenda started to answer, there was a knock on the back door and Becca and Steve came in.

"Well, Brenda was just thinking you two must be lost," Fritz said as he shook Steve's hand.

"We've done a lot of talking and Becca has decided to come home with me tonight," Steve explained.

Becca nodded and said, "We've been negotiating."

Brenda chuckled and said, "I think that's for the best. Then she took a piece of note paper and wrote her home and cell numbers on it and gave it to Becca. "I'm sure you'll be fine, but just in case you want to talk some more," she explained.

"Thank you for everything, Brenda. And you too, Fritz," Becca said as she hugged them both.

"Yes," Steve added. "You're both life savers. Literally. Our family owes you a tremendous debt."

"No problem," Fritz said.

Brenda added, "We were happy to help out. And it was a pleasure havin Becca in our home. She's a wonderful young lady."

_To be continued…_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

Brenda was listening to Calvin Newbern once again promise to speak to DDA Garnett about his treatment of investigators when Linda buzzed her and said that Steve was on the line. So she put her hand over the phone and excused Newbern saying, "Pardon me. This is DA Corning. I'll get back to you. Thank you."

When he had left the room she turned back to the phone and said, "Good mornin, Steve. What can I do for you?"

"It's what I want to do for you, Brenda. My family would like to take you to lunch today. It's a very anemic thank you for all you've done for us, I know. But we all want the chance to say thank you again."

"Oh, that's not necessary, Steve," she replied as she looked at the stack of new referrals piled up in her In Basket. "Believe me when I tell you that it was our pleasure to help."

"I've already taken the liberty of calling your husband, and he is available if you are."

"Well, in that case, I'd love to join you and your family for lunch."

"Wonderful. You can ride with me. I'll pick you up at noon."

"That would be fine. And thank you."

* * *

After Steve introduced Fritz to his family members, they were escorted to a large round table in a private dining room in the ultra-exclusive restaurant, _Florets_.

Becca then asked, "May I please sit next to Brenda?"

Elizabeth smiled and said, "Of course, dear." Then she turned to Brenda and said, "I see Becca really likes you and Fritz. We're all so lucky to have your friendship and help."

Brenda replied, "Thank you, Elizabeth. We were happy to help Becca."

The sommelier started to pass out what was billed as the finest wine list in Los Angeles. But, since Becca's parents were strict Mormons, Brenda decided to resist temptation and she joined the rest of the table in telling the sommelier, "No, thank you."

She looked at the beautiful artwork and the delicate china with the pale blue scrollwork, and the sparkling crystal goblets as her water glass was filled. _I wonder if it would be gauche to order a Diet Coke. I wonder if they even have Diet Coke._ She decided to take her cue from Steve and Maddy since they were familiar enough with the restaurant to call the waiter by his first name. If they were content with water and herbal tea, she would be as well.

After the waiter took their orders Becca turned to Brenda and said, "I've been thinking and I have a question for you."

"Oh, what is that?"

"How did you know I was in LA?"

Leslie's eyes flew up to Brenda but she needn't have been concerned. Brenda smiled and said, "Your Uncle Steve told me. I think that the Utah and Nevada authorities had called him. They probably told him."

"Oh, of course. I knew that my family would be looking for me." Becca didn't seem to notice Leslie smiling in relief, or Steve's slightly amused smile, either.

Maddy then cleared her throat and said, "I also have a question for both Brenda and Fritz." When she saw them look up at her she continued, "We would like to know if you'd do us the honor of having dinner with us on Christmas Eve."

"Oh, Maddy, thank you, but that's not necessary. We don't want to intrude on a family occasion."

"Don't think of it that way. As a matter of fact, if it weren't for you and Fritz, we probably would not have a family occasion this year at all. Maybe not for many years to come."

"Please come, Brenda. It'll be so fantastic to have you," Becca urged.

"Well, you see," Brenda began, "My brother is arrivin on Tuesday afternoon."

"He's definitely welcome, as well," Steve said.

"We'd all love to meet him," Elizabeth added.

"I need to explain why that might not be a good idea," Brenda started as Fritz took her hand under the table in support. "You see, it's not just my brother who is comin. He and his husband are both comin…"

Becca interrupted her, "His _husband_? You mean your brother is _gay_?"

"Yes, he is. And while I don't know all of you well, I do know the Mormon Church's position on gays and gay marriage, in particular. I don't want to turn Christmas Eve into a stressful time for you, or for them."

"COOL! I've never met a gay man before," Leslie bubbled.

Caleb ignored his niece's outburst and turned to Brenda. "Thank you for being considerate of our church's views, but we would have no problem with your brother and brother-in-law joining us. You see, we happen to believe that someone else's sexual orientation is none of our business. I'm sure that your brother is as good a person as you are and that he would choose an equally good partner. We would be honored to have you and your family join us."

Leslie was still turning this new information over in her mind and once again interrupted, "Does he have AIDS?"

Maddy was shocked. She was embarrassed and turned to her daughter and exclaimed, "Leslie! You can't ask a question like that. It's terribly rude."

In light of Maddy's scolding, Brenda stifled her laugh and replied with a straight face, "No, Leslie, my brother doesn't have AIDS. And neither does his husband."

"Then you'll come? _Please,_" Becca teased.

"It will be a much merrier Christmas if you and your family join us," Steve added.

Brenda and Fritz looked at each other and smiled. Then Fritz said, "Of course, we'll have to talk to Jimmy and Frank. But, whether it works out or not, thank you for thinking to include all of us."

"Certainly," Maddy replied, "Just let us know."

After lunch Maddy walked Brenda and Fritz to their car and said, "I know you think it's an imposition on your family and mine for us to include you on Christmas Eve, but you see, things are still strained between Becca and her parents. And I'm afraid if things get too intense that Becca will refuse to go home. You saw how relaxed and happy she was at lunch. Having you and your family join us will lower the temperature. I know you probably think it's dreadful of me to want to use your family that way, but…"

"Maddy, we understand why you're invitin us. And if it were just us we would say yes right away. But my brother and Frank came to California for their first weddin anniversary and I won't let anythin conflict with that. I will call them tonight, but the decision has to be theirs."

"I understand. Just… Well, please tell them that we truly do want to meet them and that they will be very welcome in our home."

"I will. Thank you."

* * *

When Fritz arrived home with dinner, Brenda was on the phone with Frank. "I think you'd both like them. They're richer than sin but every single one of them is just as nice as they can be. They remind me a lot of our family."

"You know, a lot of Mormons aren't exactly gay-friendly. Do they know about us?" Frank asked.

"Yes, I told them and they're fine with it. They're not at all judgmental. You don't have to worry about any unpleasantness. They're just warm, wonderful people."

"Then I'd love to meet them, and I even promise not to tell your boss the truth about you. And you know that Jimmy has never met a stranger. We'll enjoy ourselves. And maybe we can even snitch some silverware."

Brenda laughed, "You do and I'll see to it that you have a few less fingers goin home than you had flyin out here. I'm the best shot in the family, in case you don't know."

"Oooh. I think I've just been scared straight," Frank laughed in return.

"Good. Punishin criminals has always been my passion. Hey listen, Fritzi's home so I have to go. Talk to Jimmy and if he has any problems with Christmas Eve dinner tell him to either call or text me because I've got to tell Steve in the mornin."

"Ok, sweetie. And remind Fritz what a lucky guy he is for me."

"Believe me, I do that all the time, Frank. Love ya. Bye."

Then she turned to Fritz, kissed him, and said, "Frank is fine with goin to Steve's on Christmas Eve and Jimmy probably will be, too. He'll let me know if there's a problem, but I still wish I had the chance to talk to him face-to-face."

"I'm sure he won't hesitate to tell us if they don't want to spend Christmas Eve with strangers. I think they'll both have a good time."

"Oh, I know. It's just that this is their first weddin anniversary and their first trip to California, and I want everythin to be perfect."

Fritz put his arms around her, "It will be. Just being together will make it perfect."

"I sure hope you're right."

The next morning, Brenda checked her phone for a text message from Jimmy and read, "Looking forward to meeting your friends. See you soon. XO, J" so when she arrived at work she went straight to Steve's office.

"Both Jimmy and Frank are pleased that they're included in the invitation. And my brother said he's lookin forward to meetin you."

"Wonderful. I'll call Maddy and let her know. She's knee-deep in planning the perfect dinner. Of course, I suspect that means that we'll just have left-overs or PB & J for Christmas," he chuckled.

"So, is Becca now ok with goin home with her parents?"

"I hope so. I talked to Elizabeth and Caleb. They agreed to let her stay here with us if she still refuses to go home. But she's started talking about winter sports and seeing her friends again, so I think she's looking forward to getting home. But, of course, she doesn't want to admit that to anyone."

"Of course. Teenagers," Brenda smiled. "Well, I'd better get back to my desk. The closer we get to Christmas, the more cases we have."

"All right. But before you go, how are you doing on a present for Fritz?"

"I haven't had a moment to shop, but I've ordered one more thang online. I'm countin on findin somethin spectacular at the last minute. And if that doesn't work, I'll have to give him an IOU. At least the after Christmas sales should make my money stretch," Brenda smiled wanly.

"Well, I may have the solution to your problem," Steve said as he withdrew an envelope from his desk. "I told Caleb about Fritz's interest in the Dodger's and he gave me this to give to you."

Brenda was surprised as she started to open the envelope but was absolutely shocked when she saw its contents. "Steve! Oh my word! Two season skybox tickets for the Dodger's games? Wow!" Then she recovered and held them out to Steve and said, "I can't accept these. They're too expensive."

"Nonsense. They're an unsolicited gift from a grateful father."

"But…"

"You see, my brother-in-law is friends with the Executive Manager of the Guggenheim Partners and he gave them to Caleb." When he saw Brenda's confused expression he explained, "They own the Dodger's franchise. So it's not an expense, after all."

Brenda wasn't convinced. "I don't know."

"There's a slip in there stating the value which you'll need to declare as income on your taxes. But it's completely legal."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course. I'm the District Attorney. If I say it's legal, it's legal," he said with a twinkle in his eye.

"But you don't work for the IRS."

"And that's why you'll have to report this gift as income. These are a gift to you. That way you can just put them in a gift box and put them under the tree for Fritz with your name on the tag."

"Thank you so much. I've never re-gifted anythin for him before but in this case, I'll make an exception. Nothin could please him more. Thank you."

Steve saw that Brenda had tears in her eyes so he changed the subject. "Well, I guess I've kept you long enough. All those new cases are waiting for your attention."

Brenda smiled and said, "Yes, sir, they are. Thank you again."

As she turned to go, Steve added, "Don't forget our Christmas party on Friday."

"I won't. But no matter how nice it is, nothin can top your family's kindness to Fritz and me."

"We'll see. But for now, it's back to work."

She smiled, "Yes, sir."

* * *

When Brenda got home there was a Fedex package on the welcome mat. As she picked it up and carried it in, she was met at the door by Joel. She put the package on the table while she took off her coat and Joel immediately jumped up on the table to check it out.

"That's not for you, baby. That's a Christmas present for Fritzi," she explained as she hugged him and put him down on the floor.

She opened it up and smiled as she checked out the contents_. It's not much but I think he's gonna like this._ Then she wrapped it before locking it in the hidden storage compartment in her car. _I don't think I really need to do this. I'm the one who always goes prowlin for presents. Fritz never does. He's such a Boy Scout," _she grinned as she walked back into the house.

Since Fritz wasn't home yet she went on her regular present patrol, opening every drawer as if it were a treasure chest, and burrowing like a mole into the corners of every closet. But when she didn't find any presents her frustration spilled out. _Damn! That man is just as good at hidin presents as Mama was._

She heard Fritz's car pull into the driveway so she quickly closed the closet door and walked back into the living room, plopping down on the sofa and turning on the TV just as he opened the back door. It wouldn't do, after all, for him to know that she was searching for her gifts.

When he came in, he was carrying a medium size gift box. "What do you have there," she asked.

"It's Emilio's present. I got him a new glove. He's going to love it."

"I'm sure he will, honey," as she got up and kissed him.

* * *

Friday morning, Brenda was in her office when Linda buzzed and told her that Calvin Newbern was waiting to see her. "Oh, thank you, Linda. You can send him in."

When he entered, Brenda said, "Thank you for comin, Calvin."

"Certainly. What can I do for you, Chief Johnson?"

"I want to give you a heads up," she began. When she saw his questioning expression she continued. "Steve Corning came to see me. Apparently, he observed DDA Garnett givin Bob Bohler a hard time over the Connors' whereabouts."

"I assure you that DDA Garnett just wants to make sure that the Connors are available for the trial. As you know, their testimony is critical to proving his case."

"Yes, we've definitely gotten that message from him. But I'm talkin about Steve's reaction to the way he treated Bob. He was concerned enough about what he saw to come to me."

"I told you that I'd talk to him."

"I appreciate that. But I'm talkin about you. Steve was upset. Upset enough that he's ready to take matters into his own hands if I can't assure him that DDA Garnett's treatment of staff has vastly improved. And that won't be good for _your_ career."

Newbern's face flushed. "Are you threatening me?"

Brenda feigned surprise. "Now, how could I threaten you? I have no power over you. I just want to help you out. How would I feel if you were disciplined in some way because Steve decided you couldn't maintain control over your staff, and I hadn't warned you?"

Newbern furrowed his brow, rubbed his mouth and looked at Brenda who simply smiled at him with wide, innocent eyes. "I guess I need to have another talk with him," he finally said.

Brenda nodded and replied, "I'm sure you know best how to handle DDA Garnett. I look forward to tellin Steve that you took care of the problem." Another wide-eyed smile was given. "Well, now that I've put a bug in your ear, I've got to finish up here before the party. Are you gonna go?"

"What? Oh, the party. Yes."

"Good. I'll see you there then," and Brenda flashed her third canned smile at him as he got up, thanked her, and left.

* * *

The party was given for the District Attorney's senior staff and was held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Brenda looked around the room. She had attended parties in that room before but had never seen it looking so beautiful. A large Christmas tree stood in a corner with uniformly sized gift boxes arranged underneath. The room was gaily festooned with greenery and assorted Christmas decorations. And each table was set with a white table cloth, a tartan runner, Christmas plates, and a floral centerpiece with red and white carnations amid greenery. _This looks like somethin out of a decoratin magazine, _Brenda thought.

She saw DDA Hobbs at the punch bowl and stepped up to greet her. "Hello, Andrea. Isn't this beautiful?" she asked.

"It certainly is. This is my first time attending one of these events. Are they always this nice?"

"I think that this is nicer than last year, but Steve did a great job last year, too. And he serves the best food."

"Speaking of which, let's check out the appetizer trays," Andrea suggested.

They stopped a strolling waiter and selected appetizers from his tray as Brenda grabbed a champagne flute from another waiter. Then she asked about Major Crimes.

"I don't have the time to go over there too often anymore, but I was there last week since DDA Rios was out sick for a few days. They seem to be doing just fine. I'm amazed at how quickly Captain Raydor has grabbed the reins."

"Fritz says the same thang," Brenda said.

"Don't tell me you still miss it."

"Not the job, but I haven't seen the guys much because I didn't want to interfere with Sharon assumin command. But it's been over a year and I've been considerin stoppin in to say hello the next time we have a Community Resources meetin in Taylor's conference room.

"They'd love to see you, I'm sure."

"I'd love to see them too. Say, people are startin to find their seats. We probably should as well."

The gourmet meal was much more elegant than Brenda had ever had at an agency party: crab cakes with green onion sauce, a minty grapefruit sorbet to cleanse the palate, followed by cabernet filet mignon, asparagus parmigiano, and fluted ruffles of potato. Dessert was a choice of a half a dozen mouth-watering treats served from a cart. She wanted to scarf up one of each but she settled on the molten chocolate cake with a black cherry sauce.

Brenda reveled in the wonderful meal. _My taste buds think they've died and gone to heaven._ _Now, if there just won't be too many speeches. If there are, I'm gonna fall asleep and go face down on the table,_ she thought. But the only speech was Steve's mercifully short message of thanks for everyone's diligence during the year. Then the wait staff loaded up carts with the gift boxes from beneath the tree and gave one to each person in attendance.

Since there was nothing in the county budget for such a lavish party or gifts, everyone knew that the dinner and gifts were DA Corning's personal gifts to them. Brenda grinned when she opened the gift box. He gave all 50 people there a gift certificate for three nights at a resort on Catalina Island. _Wow. Fritzi and I are sure gonna use this!_

_To be continued…_

**A/N: I hope you're enjoying this story. In return, I'd enjoy hearing from you. Please leave a review.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5:**

When she got home, another gift awaited Brenda. Opening the door, she saw a sparkling clean home. She walked around just taking it all in. Fritz found her standing in the bathroom looking at the gleaming fixtures. He put his arms around her and kissed her.

"Fritzi, did you do all this?" she asked in amazement.

"I've been at work all day. I hired a cleaning service that Ginny Martin recommended. As hard as we've worked, we deserve to just relax and enjoy ourselves this weekend so I gave both of us an early Christmas present. Doesn't the place look great?"

"It sure does! It's too bad we can't have them come every week."

"We could, if you wanted to."

"No, I'd rather not spend the money. But it'll be nice for Christmas. Thank you, honey." She punctuated her thanks with a big kiss and then remembered, "Did you bring dinner."

"No. I thought we could keep the place clean by eating out tonight."

"Ok, but nothin expensive. Besides, I had a huge meal at the office party. Wait until I tell you about it. You're gonna die with jealousy."

"Ok," Fritz said, "But I'm starved so let's get going."

At dinner, Brenda told him all about the gourmet dinner she'd had and showed him Steve's gift. "He gave one of these to all senior staff. That dinner and all these gifts must have cost him more than both of our salaries combined," she gushed.

Fritz read the certificate, then asked, "Do you want to use this for our fifth wedding anniversary?"

"We could, I suppose. But I kinda like the idea of the Bahamas for our fifth."

"Then maybe we can use it for Memorial weekend or the Fourth of July," Fritz nodded.

"Ok. I'll check and find out if there are any blackout dates," Brenda agreed.

When they got home, Fritz pulled her under the mistletoe and kissed her. "I've got a little early present for you," he whispered.

Brenda felt him as he pressed against her and smiled, "Oh? That's not a little present. When do I get to open it?"

"Right now," he said. They undressed each other and Fritz lowered her to the floor next to the Christmas tree.

* * *

Tuesday morning, Steve called all senior staff who were working on Christmas Eve and told them that the office would close at 2:00 and wished them all a Merry Christmas. So Brenda hurried to finish her paperwork and leave early.

When she arrived home she saw a blue Buick parked in front and knew that Jimmy and Frank had arrived. She opened the door and was immediately swept up into Jimmy's arms and twirled around.

"Jimmy, Jimmy! Put me down. You're makin me dizzy!" she laughed. Frank stepped forward and kissed her cheek. Then she noticed the aroma.

"What smells so good? Are you bakin? You remember that we're goin to my boss' house for dinner, right?"

"Oh, we know," Jimmy replied. "We just thought gays bearing gifts might be a good idea."

Frank nodded, "I believe they call it 'greasing the skids'."

"What are you bakin?"

"Christmas Stollen," Jimmy replied.

Brenda looked at him hopefully, "Nana's recipe?"

"Yes, probably. Since we didn't bring her cook book with us we're operating from memory."

"And we improvised just a bit," Frank added.

"And the best news of all is that we made two. So we have one for breakfast tomorrow."

"Oh, that's wonderful. I'm sure the Cornings and Dakins will love it."

"We really wanted to give them a bottle of wine. You know, to test how ecumenical they are. But we were afraid your job might be on the line and we didn't want you and Fritz to be forced to depend on us for your financial support."

"Good thinkin, Frank. I'm gonna grab a shower before Fritz gets home. Dinner is at 8:00 so we'll probably need to leave around 7:15. If you're hungry, there are snacks in the refrigerator and in the cupboard. Just help yourself."

"Say, Bindi, since this is probably a dry dinner, would you mind if we had a drink before we go?" Jimmy asked.

"All I have is wine since that's about the only thang I drink. The glasses are in the cabinet above the wine rack. Help yourselves."

* * *

As Fritz's car pulled up the Corning's long driveway, Frank said, "You weren't kidding when you said that they're richer than sin, were you?"

"Don't let all the trappins fool you. Underneath all their gold lie hearts of pure platinum."

They were met at the door by a smiling Leslie who offered to take their coats. Maddy appeared in the foyer and invited them into the living room where the rest of the family, except Becca, was waiting. As introductions were made, Brenda asked, "Where's Becca?"

"She's upstairs in her bathroom," Elizabeth explained. "She tried a new hairstyle this afternoon and it didn't turn out exactly as she hoped it would."

Caleb heard her approach, "Ah, here she comes now."

"Hello, Becca," Fritz said.

"Becca, I thought you were havin a bad hair day but I was wrong. It's lovely."

"Thanks, Brenda. I used Leslie's curling iron to rescue it."

"You did a good job, it looks great. I'd like to introduce you all to my brother Jimmy and his husband, Frank."

"Brenda said you're both good guys so I'm pleased to meet you," Becca said smiling broadly and shaking hands.

Frank leaned toward her, "She doesn't really know me all that well, but don't disillusion her," he whispered with a twinkle in his eye, causing Becca to giggle.

When they were all seated in the living room, Steve asked, "Jimmy and Frank, Brenda says you live in New York. What do you do there?"

"I'm a buyer for Langét Designs. And I've started designing occasionally, as well."

"Frank is going to have two of his designs featured in their men's spring catalog," Jimmy said proudly.

"I'm familiar with that label. I just love the fabrics and the clean lines," Maddy said. "Do you buy the all fabric?"

"Most of the fabric used in this country, as well as the trims. It's a lot of evaluating quality and negotiating prices with the manufacturers and middle men. It's not nearly as glamorous as it sounds, I'm afraid."

"I'm learning all about negotiating," Becca said proudly.

"That's a useful skill to have," Frank said.

Elizabeth smiled at her daughter and turned to Jimmy. "And what do you do?"

"I work for the Clausanne Auction House. I evaluate and catalog their art offerings," Jimmy replied.

"Wonderful," Maddy said. We enjoy art and have collected a few pieces."

"I can tell," Jimmy said. "I spotted that painting." He gestured at an oil painting on the far wall. "I don't know the artist but he has certainly mastered the cubist style."

"That's by a local artist named Louis Perano. I just recently discovered his work," Maddy explained.

"Well, he's very good. Do you have any other pieces of his work?"

"No, I'm afraid not."

"You said he's local. Does he have a gallery in LA?"

"Yes, he does," Steve said. "If you're interested I can give you the address."

"Thank you. I'd love to see more of his work while we're here."

"Since both Fritz and I are gonna be workin, Jimmy and Frank are gonna explore LA's art scene on their own," Brenda explained.

The housekeeper entered the room and announced that dinner was served so everyone adjourned to the dining room. As they took their seats Brenda noticed a bottle of Glenlivet on a side board and was thankful, for Fritz's sake, that it would stay there.

The meal consisted of lobster tails poached in butter, with snow peas and carrots julienne, tomato roses, and risotto.

"Maddy, this meal is divine," Brenda exclaimed as Fritz, his mouth full of lobster, nodded in agreement.

"It certainly is wonderful," Jimmy agreed, as well.

"Save room for dessert," Leslie said, "Becca and I made it.

"Dessert is my favorite part of the meal," Frank said. "And I'll bet you girls did a great job."

"We'll find out in a minute," Becca said as the housekeeper began clearing the table. "We followed the recipe so don't blame us if it didn't come out right."

"I'm sure it will be wonderful," Brenda said.

"I know that Elizabeth and Caleb would like some tea and Steve and I want coffee. What can we get for you?"

Brenda was relieved to smell the coffee brewing and both she and Fritz asked for a cup, along with Jimmy and Frank. The Utah contingent asked for herbal tea.

"Leslie and Becca, would you like to serve the dessert?" Maddy asked.

"Ok," Leslie said and she and Becca went into the kitchen to help the housekeeper.

While the girls were out of the room, Brenda observed, "Becca certainly looks happy. Both girls get along really well, don't they?"

"Leslie worships the ground Becca walks on," Steve said, "She's the big sister that Leslie missed out on since our other daughter, Carol, is eighteen years older."

"Oh, so you have other children besides Leslie?" Frank asked.

"Yes, we have three older children, all in their 30s, and seven grandchildren. They're all coming in tomorrow morning after the kids check out what Santa brought them."

"It's wonderful that you're all together for Christmas. My family lives in Florida and the rest of Jimmy's lives in Atlanta so our get togethers are rare," Frank said.

"Is Becca into winter sports? Because I know if it wasn't for my job, you'd have to drag me kicking and screaming to get me to leave the warm sunshine for the snow and cold," Jimmy observed.

"Don't believe him, folks," Frank laughed. "He loves the snow. I think he'd live in an igloo if he could."

"Yes, that's true," Jimmy confessed. "I probably would."

"She loves snowboarding," Caleb said. "I expect it won't be long before she's forgotten all about the palm trees. She'll be slamming down a mountain, happy as can be."

As the conversation progressed, the Cornings and Dakins realized that Brenda and Fritz hadn't told Jimmy and Frank anything about Becca's recent exploits.

Becca and Leslie returned with pie as the housekeeper served the hot beverages and refilled water glasses.

"It's Pecan Praline Pie and we both made it," Leslie said proudly.

"Well, it looks delicious, girls," Fritz said.

"You know, if you girls are up for a really tough challenge and a part time job, you could teach my sister how to cook. Bindi can round up criminals by the score and can squeeze a confession out of a slab of granite, but don't ever let her make a pie for you."

"Jimmy! Don't tell them that!" Then Brenda admitted the truth. "Actually, my pie crust is pretty bad. But this is excellent."

"Thanks, but why does your brother call you 'Bindi'?" Becca asked.

"It all started when she was a baby and I couldn't pronounce my Rs. And I like it so I've continued calling her that. Besides, she looks like a Bindi, don't you think?" Jimmy replied with a wink.

"Stop!" Brenda laughed.

At the end of the evening, everyone said their goodbyes. Becca hugged Brenda then took her aside. "Thank you for everything."

"You're welcome," Brenda said very softly. "It looks like thangs are goin pretty well."

"That negotiating tactic really works. My parents have agreed to let me apply to any college I want, and that I would have the final choice, since it's my life. Of course, I had to agree that one of them would be BYU. So we each gave up something to get something better, just like you said. Of course, I'll have to listen to a non-stop BYU commercial for the next year. But I can stand it because I get to choose."

"That's exactly how it's done. I'm proud of you."

"When I come back on vacation, can we get together?"

"Of course. I'd be hurt if I found out you were here and I didn't hear from you."

* * *

The next morning, Frank and Jimmy served breakfast to their hosts. The stollen melted in their mouths and Fritz was especially impressed.

"You know, my family is German. I remember having stollen for breakfast Christmas morning when I was a child. This is wonderful. And since we have a 1:00 reservation for dinner I'm going to have seconds," Fritz rationalized as he cut himself another slice.

"Well, I'm glad you like it. But hurry up. Bindi is going to spaz out if she can't start opening her presents soon," Jimmy laughed.

"Uh huh," Fritz nodded with his mouth full. "Don't I know it? This second helping is an attempt to get her to practice patience. It's character building."

"Ha! Ha! I'll show you character buildin," she retorted as she pinched off a large hunk of Fritz's second slice.

After breakfast was finished and the kitchen was once again clean, they headed in to the tree to begin opening presents.

When Frank handed Fritz a large, rectangular package, Brenda said, "Oh, I bet I know what this is." It was an oil painting of trees, flowers, and a pond with water lilies growing in it.  
"Oh, my, it's BEAUTIFUL," she gushed, and forgot about the other packages while she looked at it and then looked around the room deciding where to hang it.

"It's by Ward Palmer Mann," Jimmy said.

"He was a New York regional artist. He died a few years ago and now his paintings are worth more money because there will never be any more. So, even if you don't like it, hang onto it. It will only go up in value," Frank explained.

"You bet we'll hang onto it. I love it. It's gorgeous. Thank you, both."

Then Fritz handed Jimmy and Frank their gifts. They each opened boxes with dress and polo shirts, ties and belts.

Brenda handed a similar box to Fritz and said, "You might as well open your gift now too." As he unwrapped the present, she said, "This will show you that I have no imagination and that I had no time to go shoppin. In fact, other than colors and sizes, the only difference is that Jimmy's and Frank's boxes have gift receipts in them so they can exchange them if they want."

"It's not that I don't like them," Frank said, "The fabric and workmanship are wonderful. I've admired Fred Segal's work for years now, but they don't have a presence in the New York market. Unfortunately, the size is wrong."

"I explained to the clerk that I wasn't sure about the sizes and she said you could exchange them any time within the next 90 days."

"Thanks, sweetie," Frank said and kissed her on the cheek. "We'll take care of it one day while we're here."

"So, did I get yours wrong, too?" Brenda asked her brother.

"Well, this belt is a little long. But the shirts should be fine. And I love the colors and the fabrics, just like Frank said."

"Good," Brenda smiled, thinking that she had pulled off at least one good present. Not wanting to push her luck, she handed a box to Fritz.

When he took it from her, he said, "Well it feels too heavy to be socks and underwear, unless you weighted it."

"How did you guess that I put rocks in the bottom?" Brenda grinned.

"While I'm opening this, why don't you open these?" Fritz said as he handed two boxes to Brenda.

She opened the smallest one and saw a jeweled and monogramed compact. "Fritzi, it's beautiful. Thank you."

Then she turned her attention to the other box. In it was a membership to a spa. "That's the same one I went to with Andrea Hobbs. I loved that place!"

"I know. I called Andrea to get the name of it." Fritz was proud that he got his wife something she really loved.

"I love both my gifts. Thank you, sweetheart," and she gave him a kiss. "Now, hurry up and open yours."

He turned his attention to his present. When he opened it, he pulled out a shadow box containing a pitcher's glove. He read the small bronze plaque and looked up at Brenda. "How did you know that Tug McGraw was my all-time favorite player when I was a kid?"

"So you were a Phillis fan, Fritz?" Jimmy asked.

"Actually, I was a Yankees fan. But I loved Tug, and I read all the books and stats I could get on him. He was larger than life to me." Then he turned to Brenda. "How did you know?"

"His autographed baseball was always on top of your pyramid. And it was the one you fingered all the time."

"Thank you, honey."

"But you haven't opened everythin yet. There's another one here for you." Brenda reached under the tree and pulled out another box and handed it to Fritz.

When he opened it, he saw another smaller box wrapped in a Dodger's T-shirt. "I love the Dodger's," Fritz grinned. "But did you run out of wrapping paper?"

"Yes, I did. And we were too poor to buy more," she replied dryly. "Are you gonna sit there and give me a hard time, or are you gonna open it?"

"He grinned at her and turned his attention to opening the box. When he saw the tickets, he looked up with a stunned expression. "Season skybox tickets? Brenda, we can't… how did…"

Brenda smiled at him. "Close your mouth, honey, or you're gonna catch a fly. Ball, that is."

* * *

That night, Brenda and Fritz were lying in bed talking quietly.

"Honey, why did you get me such an extravagant gift? Those tickets are just too expensive."

"No, they're not. They were on sale."

Fritz couldn't let that lie pass. "Brenda, I know that those tickets weren't on sale. So what's the deal?"

"Fritzi, I'm sure your parents must have taught you not to ask too many questions about a gift." He drew back and looked at her so she continued, "Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies."

"I think that ship has sailed."

"See? That's what you get for askin too many questions. Besides, I don't lie… all the time."

When Fritz heard that he couldn't suppress a laugh. But Brenda turned serious and rolled over and rested on his chest.

"I owe you so much. I feel like I made the first years of our marriage miserable for you. I was so self-centered and I put all my energy into my job. I didn't give you nearly as much attention as you deserved."

"No," Fritz said softly as he caressed Brenda's face, "Don't feel that everything was your fault. It wasn't."

"Most of it was, but you stuck with me when everythin in my life was spinnin out of control. You never let go of me, of us. Now, I'm startin to do better. And I want to make up for my shortcomins in any way that I can."

"Oh, sweetheart, you don't have to make up for anything. Especially not this way."

"I know I don't need to buy your forgiveness. No one can do that. Besides, you're a lovin, forgivin man. And I love you even more for bein that way. But when I have the chance to give you the best, I'm gonna do it."

"You know what?" Fritz asked.

"What?"

"Even without the unexplained, extravagant gifts, I love you more tonight than I did this morning."

Brenda laid her head on his shoulder and nuzzled his neck. Her heart was too full to speak.

_The End_

**A/N: Merry Christmas to you all. And you can wish me a Merry Christmas by placing a review under my Fan Fiction tree.**


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